pilothouse king
Guru
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2013
- Messages
- 525
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Make
- 15' Hobie Power Skiff w/90hp Yamaha-owned 28 years. Also a 2001 Bayliner 3788 that I took in trade
This just proves my point of how un readily available these old boats are, so I wouldn't delay in buying one if that is what you truly want.People on the Albin Owners Forum have traveled all the way from Maine to Florida to acquire decent 25s. One guy drove from South Carolina to Minnesota to get one.
Guess there's a lotta major dumbasses out there that like those boats.
Buying on the east coast makes sense, but not way across the plains, deserts, and steep mountain ranges to the west coast. That would cost you a fortune in gas, motels, mileage racked up on your tow vehicle, plus trailer repairs. If you want one -here's one sitting on an aluminum trailer in Ft. Pierce only 125 miles south of Daytona. Take I-95 the whole way. Doesn't get any easier than that does it? Heck there's even literally hundreds of trucks for sale locally to tow it home.
These boats receive little use (demand) here in South Florida because the distances are large, the speed limits are such that if you were to use a boat like this you will be waked unmercifully by others (think big boats with huge wakes, plus all the small boats)not willing to broil in the sun going slow. We have to make our own wind most of the time. At dock you need air conditioning. The fact is people make one long slow trip here in slow small boats and they seldom ever use them again. You can find them rotting away at docks at the ends of all the rivers here in Florida. The New River in Ft. Lauderdale is relatively short but packed with dead boats up stream. Same with Miami River, St. Lucie, St. Johns, Suwannee, and dozens
more. This ALL adds up to putting you in the drivers seat as a buyer. You have little to zero competition from other buyers. If I was buying this boat I would show up with a bag of "magic beans" and a truck with every expectation of leaving with it.
There's even literally thousands of relatively fast boats sitting dead behind houses inland mostly with outboard engines not made in Japan. This all adds up to opportunity for people to take them elsewhere where it's cooler and prettier and there's service and parts available.
Just curious, do you have a quick source of parts for your bike like the Harley riders do? A machine that you can't get parts for is soon a decoration not a machine.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I owned a Albin 25 back in 1991. Bought and sold it without ever cranking the engine or leaving the slip. Bought her from the marina for the dockage due.
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